Less than two weeks after China eased health measures, scientists are warning of an explosion in the number of deaths in the coming months.
The situation in China could quickly get out of control, three professors from the University of Hong Kong warned on Monday, according to the American medium CNN.
After three years of an extremely strict public health strategy called Zero-Covid, China has largely relaxed its measures since early December and is preparing for an unprecedented wave of infections.
According to the study, the lifting of health restrictions — won by the population after numerous demonstrations — could result in as many as 684 deaths per million residents, or 964,400 deaths among China’s 1.4 billion people.
Three main causes
The researchers point to the under-vaccination rate of older people, who are therefore more vulnerable, but also to the insufficient capacity of intensive care units in hospitals. They also believe the country is under-resourced with antiviral drugs.
This Monday, the first two deaths since restrictions were lifted, both recorded in the capital Beijing, were reported by Chinese health authorities.
Wu Zunyou, China’s chief epidemiologist, said the country has been hit by the first of three waves of infections expected this winter, according to US TV reports.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
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